Joint constbttction i



G. H. WHEARY. JOINT CONSTRUCTION FOR TBUNKS, BOXES, AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 2h I915- PafentedST-pt. 2, 1919.

ATTORNEYS.

GEORGE HENRY WHEARY, OF RACINE, WISCONSIN.

JOINT CONSTRUCTION FOB TRUNKS, BOXES, AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 2, 1919.

Application filed July 21, 1915. Serial No. 41,050.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gronon HENRY WHEABY, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Racine, in the county of Racine and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Joint Constructions for Trunks, Boxes, and the like, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which are a part of this specification.

y invention has relation to improve ments in joint constructions for trunks, boxes and the like.

When the covers of trunks, boxes and the like are turned to closing position, it is very desirable that the meeting edges of the sides of the'body and cover'of the trunk or box shall have a joint connection which will secure such a closure as to reduce to the minimum the; danger of the entry 6f dust, or other extraneous matter, to the inside of the trunk.

. Wardrobe trunks, as is well known, are composed of .two sections, via, a wardrobe section and a drawer section, one section acting as a cover and being brought against the other section when the trunk is closed. It is obvious that it is as equally desirable in this form of trunk to also provide for a joint which will practically exclude dust, and other extraneous matter. In the present illustration of my invention, I have shown the improvements as applied to a wardrobe form of trunk; although it is ofcourse to be understood that the invention is equally applicable to any form of trunk, box or receptacle which is provided with a closure or cover.

An important object of the invention is to provide a simple form of joint structure, involving a 'oint closure which will most effectually ren er the trunk proof against the entry of dust or other matter through the joint to the interior of the trunk or receptacle.

A further object is to provide a form of joint which will not only act to strengthen and brace the trunk, but which will also hold the two sections of the trunk or the body of the trunk or cover thereof, when closed,

firmly together against movement one upon the other.

'With the above primary, and other incidental objects in view, the invention consists of the dances and parts, or the equivalents thereof, as hereinafter more fully pointed out.

In the accompanying drawing, 1

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a wardrobe trunk, the two sections thereof being swung outwardly to open position;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view, illustrating one corner of the wardrobe section and one corner of the drawer section of the trunk;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, looking downwardly in the direction of the arrows, when the wardrobe section and the drawer section are in closed position, the dotted line indicating the position of the wardrobe section relative to the drawer section when the said two sections are in open position;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line I Jr-4: of Fig. 2 looking downwardly in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2 looking downwardly in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 6 indicates the wardrobe section and 7 the drawer section of a form ofwardrobe trunk.

The principal feature of the invention is the provision of a valance, preferably of metal, said valance disposed around the edges of the sides of one of the sections of the trunk and being formed with a U-shapcd portion which provides a groove or-pocket to receive the edges of the sides of the other section, and also to receive and hold a felt strip. I prefer to form this member from a single piece of metal which is bent and doubled upon itself to form the portion 8 comprising two thicknesses, and i. then bent inwardly at right angles to form the portion 9, and is finally bent at right angles to the portion 9 to form an inner portion 10 which extends in the direction of the portion 8, the portions 8, 9 and 10 being so 'dlsposed and arranged with respect to each other as to form a groove or pocket. From the doubled portion 8 the upper thickness of the metal projects or extends to form the part 11.

The joint structure above described may be secured to the outer edges of the sides of either the wardrobe section or the drawer I have shown the same as secured to the edges of the sides of the wardrobe SBCtlOIlMlIld-lll the case of an ordinary form of trunk which merely consists of a-main body portion and a cover portion,

fixture firmly to the sides.

In the bottom of the groove formed by the portions 8, 9, and 10 of the metal fixture is disposed a strip of suitable material, such as felt 13, the said strip being connected to.

the member 9 by glue, or other suitable adhesive substance.

Itwill. of course be understood that the groove is continuous groove extending along the side edges and the end edges, and that the felt strip-is disposed in the bottom of. the entire groove.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that when the drawer section and the Wardrobe section are brought together to closing position, the edges of the sides of the drawer section will enter the groove and application, is one wherein the edges of the side pieces ofeach sectiono f the trunk are separated from each other, andthese sepa-.

bear against the felt strip disposed in said groove. The groove, therefore, not only provides a retaining pocket for the felt strip, but furthermore as the walls. of the groove bear against the opposite faces of the sides of the wardrobe section, they necessarily hold said sides firmly in closing position, so that not only is a tight and secure joint formed, but. also the two sections of the trunk are prevented from wabbling or moving one upon the other.

'The particular style of wardrobe trunk in connection with which I have shown my improvements is one employing a corner construction similar to that disclosed in my application for Letters Patent filed June 12,

1915-, Serial No. 33,696 and also disclosed in my application for Letters Patent filed June 12. 1915, Serial No. 33,697, which eventuated into Patent'No. 1,235,9 i8. The corner con struction covered in saidapplications for patents, and also illustrated in the present rated edges are covered by a corner piece bent to form an intermediate member of rounded shape, or convex on its outer surface two legs formed bydoubling the material upon itself, which legs bear against the separated edges of the sides, and ter minal securing flanges. In the 'present aption of'a wardrobe trunkfl or in thecase of.

-plication, the intermediate rounded or convex portion of the 'rorncr construction is indicated on the drawing by the numeral 1 the two legs by the numerals 15, and the terminalsecuring flanges by the numeral 10.

In order to apply my improved joint to a trunk equipped with the corner construction above described, 'it is necessary pf course, in the section of the trunk which provided with the groove, to make provision for continuing the groove acrossor around the separatcd-mlgcs at the corners.

At the front ends of thc. edges of the side pieces at the corner, where the corner consl'rluztion rc-' ferrcd to is (employed, there would ()l(ll narily be left alflhpon space, and of course the continuity of the groove would be broken, or rather, there would be no bottom pieceor support for the felt, similar to the support afi'orded hy the bottom of the groove proper. I, therefore, employ at each of these outer corners a corner fixture 17 which projects slightly beyond the edges of the sides at the corners, said projecting portions forming anouter wall for the edge of the wardrobe section, when the wardrobe section is brought to a. closing position.

From a medial portion ofthe inner face of this metal-fixture projects a lip which forms the support 01- bottom for the felt strip, the same as the bottom or the groove proper. This lip -or support may be conveniently formed by, providing a projection 18 from a mcdialvpoint of the edge of the main portion of the corner fixture 17, said projection being bent inwardly against the inner face of the metal fixture l7, and then bent at right angles, as indicated bythe numeral 19, to form the lip referred to, and whichlip covers over the open space which would otherwise be left at the outer ends of'the corners between the legs 1515., and which covering flange or lip forms a bottom'support for the felt strip, the same as the botv tom. of the groove proper.

It is also necessary to apply a metal fixture at the outer ends of the corners of the sides of the wardrobe section of the-trunk sides at these points. To this end, I provide so as to avoid. any break in the edges of the at the outer ends of each corner, another metal fixture 21, the main portion thereof overlying the extreme end of the metallic corner device, which device, as before explained, consists of the bridging member, the inwardly extending legs and the secur 1ng flanges. The vmetal fixture 21 is provided with a projecting portion 22 which is depressed slightly \from the main port-ion of the fixture 21, as shown, most clearly in Fig. 5, so as to provide adeprcssecl seat for the projecting edge of the cor nerfixture' 17 of the drawer section, when the two 'sec-.

*tions are brought together to closing .j

'tion. The extremity of this depressed por- 1 30 tion is bent at right angles, as indicated by the numeral 23, and this portion 23 forms the continuation of the edge at the corners,

and avoids a break in the continuity of the edges of the wardrobe section, so as toprovide a complete or unbroken rectangular edge to fit the complete rectangular groove of the drawer section.

What I claim is:

1. In a joint construction for trunks, boxes or the like,'the combination with a trunk comprising two sections, each section having projecting side pieces, said side pieces having their edges separated from each other, devices disposed along the noncontacting corner edges of the sides of the two sections, said devices projecting over the space between the non-contacting edges of the sides, a valance secured to the edges of the sides of one of the sections of the trunk, said valance provided with'a groove,

and corner fixtures at the outer ends of the corners, each corner fixture projecting outwardly to form an outer projecting wall, and also having a projecting lip which extends over and covers the space which would otherwise 'be left at the end of the bridging member, said lip thereby forming a continuation of the bottom of the groove of the valance.

2. .In a joint construction for trunks, boxes or the like, the combination with a trunk comprising two sections, each sectidn having projecting side members, said side members at their edges separated from each other, devices disposed along the non-contacting edges of the sides of the two sections, each device bridging over the s ipce formed by the non-contacting edgespt-flthe sides, a valance secured to the edgcswfi the sides of one of the sections of thetrunk, said valance provided with a groove, a corner fixture at the outer ends of the corners of the sides of the section of the trunk edge which is provided with a valance, said corner fixture projecting outwardly to form an outer projecting wall, and also having a projecting lip which extends over and covers the space which would otherwise be left at the end of the bridging corner device, and thereby forms a continuation of the bottom of the groove of the valance, and corner fixtures at the outer ends of the corners of the other section of the trunk,each of said corner fixtures provided with a projection,

I which projection is bent at an angle to form a member at the corner which completes the continuity of the edge.

In testimony whereof, I 'aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE HENRY \VHEARY. Witnesses:

ANNA M.'NELSON, EMMA RASMUSSEN. 

